Lessons From Europe's Racist Right

The National Front of Marine le Pen and Greece’s jack-booted Golden Dawn both had strong showings in recent elections. Both are also mentioned in the manifesto of Anders Breivik, Norway’s Christian jihadist, as part of the European bulwark against the expansion of Islam and multiculturalism. Although much has been said about whether the mainstream Right is responsible for Breivik, the European elections have now demonstrated that reputable politicians are happy to use the same talking points.

Marine le Pen in particular uses language strikingly similar to Breivik’s manifesto. She rails against Muslim immigration from the Middle East and North Africa, saying that France is being swamped. Even halal meat is dangerous. Le Pen snarls about multiracialism and multiculturalism irretrievably altering the Hexagon’s Gallic integrity.

From Breivik there is this, "You cannot defeat Islamisation or halt/reverse the Islamic colonization of Western Europe without first removing the political doctrines manifested through multiculturalism/cultural Marxism".

Or this: "A modern cultural conservative (nationalist), anti-Jihad right wing alternative is emerging in Western Europe".

Le Pen herself has said she has "de-demonised" her party. Where her Fascist father Jean-Marie was prone to anti-Semitic outbursts, his daughter, whom he once described as a, "big healthy blonde girl … an ideal physical specimen", has made it acceptable to vote for the National Front.

Anders Breivik too knew the extreme Right had to abandon its storm-trooper rhetoric, even recommending that publicly racist members should be thrown out of the party. He wrote that, "By doing this we will gain the support of the masses and not end up as a marginalised and excessively demonised insignificant organisation."

Cutting down on the anti-Semitism also makes the extreme Right palatable to Zionists.

"Nevertheless, time is of the essence and it is imperative that the European Jewish community without delay take a stance on the ongoing Islamisation. Neutrality on this issue is not an option. The only way of doing this is to back the new right wing (anti-multiculturalism, pro-Israel) groups and political parties (also manifested through views such as by moderate Jewish writers Daniel Pipes and Bat Ye’or)."

And finally a confirmation that, the enemy of my enemy is my friend:

"A majority of Western European right wing groups are all anti-Islamisation and pro-Israel. They wish to include the Jews in our fight against multiculturalism and the Islamisation of Europe. Israel is at the forefront of global Jihad."

That accords with Israel, allowing Geert Wilders from the Dutch, anti-Islamic Freedom Party to visit the Holy Land in 2010. Breivik and Wilders were singing from the same songbook. "Israel is a lighthouse and the only democracy in a dark and tyrannical region," Wilders declared. "It’s part of us, of our European identity. Israel is fighting our war."

Israel has indeed played host to several extreme right wing politicians from Europe and Breivik has an explanation for what would have been unconscionable just a decade ago.

"Jews will in a much larger degree start to support the ‘new right’ (just like everyone else), who oppose multiculturalism as a means to stop Islamisation, at least this is my hope. In the back of their minds they realise that a Muslim Europe will be more anti-Semitic than a Christian Europe."

Breivik also found plenty of material when he looked to Australia. In his long list of like-minded political parties, I found the Australian Protectionist Party. While he didn’t endorse the Liberal-National Coalition, he quoted Quadrant’s Keith Windschuttle, a culture warrior appointed to the ABC Board by the Howard government, Ross Cameron, a minister in the Howard government and former Treasurer, Peter Costello.

Breivik made this assessment of former Prime Minister John Howard himself:

"Luckily, not all Christian leaders are appeasers of Islam. One of the intelligent ones comes from Australia, a country that has been fairly resistant to Political Correctness. They have taken serious steps towards actually enforcing their own borders, despite the predictable outcries from various NGOs and anti-racists, and Prime Minister John Howard has repeatedly proven to be one of the most sensible leaders in the Western world."

One of the most sensible leaders in the Western world? Many Australians would agree with the mass murderer of Utoya Island, a sentiment one might have found in the opinion pages of the Australian newspaper, which Breivik references extensively as source material.

While you may think these matching opinions were born of fear, at the zenith of the War on Terror, I have seen viewer comments to websites which indicate these beliefs are widely held today. This in April 2012: "We better wake up and see that our Australian "boat"(way of living as we knew it) is sinking, or the Muslim boat people will take over. Do not believe them that they are a peaceful and innocent religion. They are not!"

The solution to the Islam "problem" is where most mainstream politicians and Anders Breivik part company. He has drawn up a comprehensive list of traitors in each European country:

"We are in the process of flagging every single multiculturalist traitor in Western Europe. We will ensure that all category A and B traitors, the enablers of Islamisation and the destroyers of our cultures, nations and societies, will be executed and your property expropriated."

According to Breivik’s reckoning there are approximately 400,000 Category A & B traitors, ranging from just 322 in Iceland to 82,820 in Germany.

"The thing is that many of our political and cultural elites, including politicians, NGO leaders, university professors/lecturers, writers, journalists and editors — the individuals making up the majority of the so called category A and B traitors, knows exactly what they are doing. They know that they are contributing to a process of indirect cultural and demographical genocide and they need to be held accountable for their actions. The truth needs to come out."

Anders Breivik didn’t calculate the number of traitors to be executed in Australia but his ideas have some support here. This 9 May comment was obviously posted in anger and frustration at the domestic political situation. I hope it’s only a rhetorical flourish made to reinforce his point.

"Hi. Let me tell you something……..if Labor in Norway did what this Labor is doing to us……….Norway has a hero in Brevik! Just to mention this idiots try to bribe voters…they are worse than communists…they should let Brevik come to Australia!"

Anders Breivik doesn’t need to come to Australia — his ideas are already here, albeit not yet written on the banners of a major political party as is the case in Europe. Only time will tell how many Australians believe, as Breivik does, that "We are in the very beginning of a very bloody cultural war, a war between nationalism and internationalism and we intend to win it."